4.1 Interactive Metadiscourse Markers in Jacinda Ardern’s Speech
4.1.1 Transitions
Transitions have an important role in organizing a text, especially in written text.
To add, transitions are the fundamental linguistics elements in writing (Agustinos, Arsyad & Syahrial, 2018). However, transitions markers are also used in spoken text to organize the text structure. It is proven by the occurrence of transition markers in Jacinda Ardern’s speech at Christchurch memorial. The occurrence of transitions in the speech can be seen in the following table:
Table 4.1.1 Transitions used in Jacinda Ardern’s Speech
Items Number
Percentage of total transitions (%)
Percentage of total interactive metadiscourse
(%)
Also 1 3.3 1.92
And 15 50 28.84
Because 2 6.7 3.85
But 10 33.3 19.23
or 2 6.7 3.85
Total 30 100 57.69
The table above shows that the speaker of the speech used 30 transitions in the speech. Transitions are the dominant category amongst other interactive
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metadiscourse markers used in the speech. It is in line with the result of previous study conducted by Yipei and Lingling (2013) in which the researchers found out that, transition markers are used more frequently than other interactive metadiscourse markers. The transitions that Jacinda Ardern used in the speech, such as: also, and, because, but, or. Conjunction “and” is the most dominant transition marker used in the speech, followed by marker “but” with the total occurrences of “but” are 10. In addition, markers “because” and “or” have the same total of occurrences that is two. Another marker is “also” which occurred once. These transition markers are having different functions in the text. The use of transition markers “and” and “also” in the speech is to signal additional information or argument in the speech. The example of it can be seen in excerpt 1.
Excerpt 1
And we also ask that the condemnation of violence and terrorism turns now to a collective response.
(Speech at Christchurch memorial, 2019)
The words “and” and “also” in the sentence above can be included and are functioned as interpersonal metadiscourse markers, as interactive resources in transitions category (Hyland, 2005). The marker functioned as additive. In addition to thanking everyone who has joined the Christchurch Memorial, the speaker also added statement that asked that violence and terrorism turn to a collective response. The conjunction “and” here functioned as a connector with the speaker’s pervious statement. The use of transitions “and” together with “also”
in a sentence suggests that it is not merely used to add information. Jacinda
Ardern also shows her attitude in her statement, signaling the importance of the information given. Another example of transition “and” can be seen in excerpt 2.
Excerpt 2
But even when we had no words, we still heard yours, and they have left us humbled and they have left us united.
(Speech at Christchurch memorial, 2019)
There are two transitions in the sentence above. The use of “and” in the sentence is to indicate additional information. In the excerpt 2, Jacinda Ardern talks about words spoken by the victims and the victims’ families of the terrorist attack, even in a situation in which other people had no words to say such words that can express what they feel about the terrorist attack. The use of the first and the second “and” in the sentence signals semantic relations between clauses. It functions to add additional information towards her previous statement. In addition, Jacinda used pronoun “they” in her speech to refer to words that she heard from the Victim’s families and the Muslim Community. It is explained in her previous statements that she came to the event and was met with simple greeting, As-salaam Alaikum, peace be upon you that were spoken by everyone she met. And then Jacinda Ardern told the audiences that even when they do not know what to say to the victims’ and their families, they can still hear those words spoken by the victims and their families in that kind of situation. In the speech, Jacinda Ardern used transition “and” to add that those words made them humbled.
The second “and” used in the sentence also functions to add additional information in the argument. Jacinda Ardern used the markers to add that the words also made everyone who hear the words feel that they are united.
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There were a lot of conjunction “and” found in the speech. However, the researcher found ambiguous cases in which the researcher believes that not all of the conjunction “and” that used in the speech are functioned as metadiscourse markers. The example of it is presented in excerpt 3.
Excerpt 3
What words capture the anguish of our Muslim community being the target of hatred and violence?
(Speech at Christchurch memorial, 2019)
Conjunction “and” in excerpt 3 above has different function with the conjunction
“and” in excerpt 2. If the word “and” in excerpt 2 functioned as a bridge between clauses and considered as transition, in excerpt 3 the word “and” did not function as connection between neither clauses nor sentences. A collection of words can be included as either an English sentence or a clause when consists of at least a subject and a verb (Afrianto and Inayati, 2016). The conjunction in excerpt 3 functioned only to connect nouns in the sentence, not a clause. If refer to the function of transitions according to Hyland (2005), which is to connect ideas or arguments between clauses, or to interpret pragmatic connections between steps in the argument, the conjunction "and" in the excerpt 3 does not have a function as metadiscourse marker. Another transitions marker used in Jacinda Ardern’s speech is “because”. The example of the use of marker “because” can be seen in excerpt 4.
Excerpt 4
Our challenge now is to make the very best of us, a daily reality. Because we are not immune to the viruses of hate, of fear, of other. We never have been.
(Speech at Christchurch memorial)
The word “because” in the sentence above used to help reader interpret relations between sentences. According to Hyland (2005), conjunctions which function to interpret semantic relations between arguments are included as transition. The marker in the speech functioned as a bridge between the previous sentence and the following sentence. More specifically, the transitions marker in the excerpt 4 has function to add element in the argument. Firstly, the speaker stated that she and her audiences have a challenge that is to make the very best of them become a daily reality. Then, she added the reason to support her previous statement. Thus, the researcher believes that the conjunction “because” also functioned as transition marker in the speech. Besides, the researcher also found another item which function as transition. The example is presented below.
Excerpt 5
And we remember, that ours is a home that doe s not and cannot claim perfection. But we can strive to be true to the words embedded in our national anthem.
(Speech at Christchurch memorial, 2019)
The word “but” in excerpt 5 is a conjunction which included as transition. It seems to function as a coordinator. However, the use of transition “but” in the sentence is to mark different between arguments in the speech, as stated by Hyland (2005), transitions also used to mark arguments as either similar or different.
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The occurrence of transitions in Jacinda Ardern’s speech shows that the use of transitions is crucial, both in written text and spoken text since it can express the textual relationships. If the speaker of the speech did not use transitions, it will affect the audiences in understanding the text flowing. That is the reason why the use of transitions is useful to help readers or hearers in understanding the text flowing.